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Literally minutes after I posted this blog the Oilers tweeted this:
Looks like 2 years at 1.5 a year is the signing. In my opinion that's about 250,000 more than I would have liked to see him at. Caggiula currently is producing at a 4th line level but I see a spot for him on the third line.
Summer. That lovely time of year where your attention turns to catching butterflies, playing with sticks in the mud, and who is going to be selected during the 2018 NHL Draft. Here is my first ten picks on who will be picked on June 22nd at the NHL Draft.
1. Buffalo Sabres Select Rasmus Dahlin - LD
Doesn’t take an insider to figure this one out. Dahlin is the most hyped defenseman to be selected since Erik Karlsson. His puck moving skills are unbelievable and his ability to get passes and shots of in traffic are impressive especially when considering the competition he has played against. A franchise defender.
2. Carolina Hurricanes Select Andrei Svechnikov - RW
The second obvious prediction. The best pure shooter in this draft class. The Hurricanes were the big draft winners by moving from #12 to #2 and they will be rewarded with a right winger who is ready to immediately step into the NHL. Just to get Canes fans excited, comparisons to Nikita Kucherov have been thrown around.
3. Montreal Canadiens Select Filip Zadina - LW
Struggled with this one as part of me feels Montreal is going to go off the board by picking Jesperi Kotkaniemi but unless they decide to trade down I do not see them passing on Zadina at #3. Will likely be their future top line LW to replace the aging Pacioretty. Zadina like Svechnikov is a pure goal scorer and could step into the NHL next year and be an effective producer.
4. Ottawa Senators Select Evan Bouchard - RD
This is the point when most drafts start to diverge and mine is no different. This draft is heavy on defensemen and Ottawa will select Bouchard who is the most offensively gifted of the remaining defenders. Bouchard scored 87 points last season, 33 more than the next highest on his team and 52 more than the next defenseman. Considering he played for the London Knights he is also a player the Senators are familiar with.
5. Arizona Coyotes Select Noah Dobson - RD
Since 2009 Arizona has used 4/9 of it’s first round picks on defensemen and they do so again here selecting Noah Dobson. Dobson is a talented skater and great in all three zones. He may not have the same offensive upside as some of the other draftees but he is a solid two way player. Would look great on a second pairing behind Ekman-Larsson
6. Detroit Red Wings Select Quinton Hughes - LD
The smaller yet speedy defender might be the fastest player of the lot. Has great vision and hockey IQ. Due to his smaller stature he may likely need a couple years of development before he is NHL ready but if any team is going to be patient with their prospects, it’s Detroit.
7. Vancouver Canucks Select Brady Tkachuk - LW
Every year there is one player who drops more than anyone expected. This NHL draft has the best crop of young defenders since 2012 where Trouba, Reily, Lindholm, and Dumba were picked between 5-10. Brady is not as offensively talented as his older brother Matthew but brings a similar physical game. Brady should go on to have a great NHL career but I believe some GM's will be hesitant to draft him due to his ceiling. May end up being more of a third line player than an elite option.
8. Chicago Blackhawks Select Oliver Wahlstrom - RW
Why do I get the feeling that 5 years from now we are going to be looking at Wahlstrom as the best forward of this draft? Nothing more than a hunch but I feel like Wahlstrom is a player we will see scoring 25 goals for the Hawks in 2019-2020. If there were not so many gifted defenders in this draft Wahlstrom would be a shoe in for a top 5 pick.
9. New York Rangers Select Adam Boqvist - RD
Another offensive minded defenseman. The benefit with European skaters like Boqvist is the fact that they have already played the game against older players and are used to a tougher game. The biggest question mark is how quickly he will learn to adapt to the North American game. Will he be able to move the puck as effectively when he has less space to work with?
10. Edmonton Oilers select Jesperi Kotkaniemi - C
I truly believe that one of two teams will draft Kotkaniemi and if the Canadiens do not reach at 3 to take him there is a very high chance he will fall to Edmonton. Kotkaniemi is the best two way forward in this draft. Not as offensively dynamic as either Svechnikov or Wahlstrom but a player who can be dangerous in either end. For Oiler fans looking for an NHL comparison he appears to be of the same style of Ryan Nugent Hopkins.
There you have it, the first 10. I look forward to your discussions in the comments as all of you discuss how correct I am with my picks.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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